During the month of June 2013, the Indian state of Uttarakhand suffered one of the worst natural disasters in its history, when floods killed more than 6,000 people and left behind a bleak landscape, with road and homes completely destroyed. From the outset, Asha-Kiran worked with the local government that managed the relief actions, by contributing with all the logistical support possible and coordinating aid from NGOs and individuals in the state of Maharashtra.
This collaboration was completed with the Winter Project, wherein blankets and warm clothes were distributed to a total of 277 families and an orphanage with 36 children. This project was designed according to the needs of the Department of Disaster Management, which coordinates various NGOs, guiding and supporting their work so that resources are optimized and the relief is actually helpful.
With the collaboration of Bosch Pune, who made a collection among its staff to be destined to the affected area, we bought the material that was necessary and suitable for the families, and distributed it in hard-to-reach areas at the beginning of the cold months. The distribution was made according to the records provided by the government, with one family member picking up the relief package and signing the distribution sheet. There were a total of 1401 pick-ups. Afterwards, we distributed material to teachers from nearby schools and an orphanage with 36 children.
A severely damaged winding road goes from Rishikesh to the mountain villages, the most affected. Politicians move around the area by helicopter. This gives an idea of the situation local people are in, already impoverished before the disaster. There is hardly any infrastructure, so progress is infinitely complicated. While coordination by the government to revert the situation is exemplary, going back to normal life will take a long time... too long.
I was impressed by the people. They had lost a huge number of relatives, friends and neighbors just over six months before. We were there because they had no winter clothes and were already cold. Most of their few possessions had been lost forever, and yet there wasn’t a sad or defeatist atmosphere. People received their packages with gratitude, carrying enormous bundles because they were either taking them to so and so’s family, because someone was too old and couldn’t go, or because so and so had to look after her children... always with astonishing respect and simplicity, the kind that make you sit in a corner for a while and think about your own way of living life.
Víctor Natalias - Coordinator Asha-Kiran Spain / India
